SYNOPSIS
Megatron scolds his Vehicon generals for their failure, and after a little lesson in discipline, sends them off with a promise of a reward to the one who captures the Maximals. Meanwhile, the Maximals, having recovered their memories of Rhinox and Silverbolt, vows to find them. Optimus senses the presence of a Spark and the Maximals split up to find it. Rattrap manages to break into a laboratory, and discovers the transformation inhibitor virus that Megatron used, as well as a transformation enhancer. Rattrap naturally takes it, and uses it. Thrust and Jetstorm squabble, but Tankor manages to find the Maximals. The Maximals elude dumb Tankor by turning into Beast Modes... except Rattrap, who shows up in his robot mode, alerting Tankor to the Maximals' presence. Rattrap is unable to control his transformations.

After a short battle, Tankor traps the Maximals under a metallic dome. Thrust and Jetstorm attack Tankor for the right to bring in the Maximals. The Maximals try to escape, but during the resulting battle, an explosion knocks out everyone, leaving only Tankor standing. At the Citadel, Tankor demands his reward. Megatron tells Tankor that he will have his reward: 'freedom', via the removal of his spark. Rattrap's uncontrolled transformations break his bonds, and he quickly releases the other Maximals. A frustrated Megatron transforms to Beast Mode, disconnecting from his control harness.

Optimus talks directly to Tankor's spark, asking him to do what is right. After hesitating for a moment, Tankor blasts open the door and escapes with the Maximals. Megatron reconnects to his harness and interfaces directly with Tankor's CPU, deleting the last 20 cycles of his memory. Tankor attacks the Maximals again, and Megatron blocks Optimus' attempt to speak to Tankor's spark. The Maximals manage to knock Tankor out of the underground. Optimus Primal tells the other Maximals that he sensed something oddly familiar about Tankor's spark.

REVIEW
Hmm... a little slower-paced compared to the previous episodes, with less mystery and more action. It's a decent enough watch, but if every subsequent episode would be like this then it'll be a rather banal show. As it is, it's kind of fun to see the Vehicons bicker among themselves. Rattrap is good value in this episode, too. When he finally manages to transform after running away for so long... it's useless. A moral-ish story that teaches us not to use shortcuts when doing something.

The high-strung mystery from last episodes have wound down, though, and it shows that this is one of those filler episodes that doesn't change the status quo. Some bits are built upon, though — the Vehicons are 'more than meets the eye', Rattrap still has problems with transforming, the transformation virus et al... but it's proceeding back into filler episodes than the more issue-driven thing that makes Beast Machines so entertaining to watch. Still, a solid, if rather boring, episode.

(Seven out of Ten)

NOTES
The idea of a Transformer being locked in his alternate mode, like how Megatron used the Transformation Lock Virus, has been done before in a G1 episode. 'The Autobot Run', if memory serves correct.

We see Rattrap's robot mode for the first time, with wheels as legs. His access-port tail is also available in robot mode. Much to his chagrin Rattrap doesn't have any weapons in robot mode.

Rattrap name-drops 'Full Metal Jacket', a title of a film. It literally means a copper bullet casing.

One of Rattrap's wacky intermediate modes is hauntingly similar to his Transmetal mode, with wheels instead of hind legs.

GOOFS
At one point Thrust is missing his yellow highlights, making him look like one of his drones.

At the closeup on Megatron after the Maximals transform, his scar is in the wrong eye.